Pioneer

EUROPEAN WAR. (To the Editor of the Pio-NEFia.) Sir.-The late Sir Charles Dilke said that the South African War was an "unwise and ill-conducted war." The same phrase aptly describes the present war. lighting for lib- erty abroad and losing it at home," seems to me to be a paradox contrarv to Democratic activ itv. The unthinking cry for men and more more. regardless of how they are to be equip- i ped and maintained. threatens the very founda-j tion of oil'- society. The Military Service Act is a crime and the Tribunal a farce. The mem- bers of the Tribunals are nothing but political fossils utterly incapable of administering the law. Tlid late Judge Givilvm Williams attri- buted his success as a judge to the fact that he always mixed the law with a good dose of common sense. I doubt very much whether the members of these new bodies ever possessed such a rare quality. especially in these days when the world is mad with war. it seems to me that almost all the Tribunals of the country poke fun at the conscientious objector—or, in other- words, they depised an honest man or a, man of principle, and admire the dishonest in the form of a pseudo-patriot or a flunkey. Mr. Philip Snowden, M.P., spoke in the House of Commons last night to the effect that the treatment by local Tribunals generally of conscientious objectors had been nothing short of an outrage and a public scandal, However, conscience is the "sanctum sanct- orum of the human being. Conscience," savs Pa-ley. "our own conscience is to be our guide in ail things." Whewell again says: 7" Conscience is the voice which pronounces for him the distinction of right and wrong; and when he has done all he can to enlighten and instruct it bv the aid of religion, as well as of morality, it is for him the voice of God." Channing wrote as follows: -"Pi-iblic bodies want conscience. Men acting in masses shift off responsibilities on one another. Multitudes never blusn." If these things be true. then I main- tain that the Christian has not a right to take part in war blincllv, confidingly, at the call of his rulers. To shed the blood of i-ellow-crea- tures is too solemn a work to be engaged in lightly. Let him not put himself a tool into wicked hands. Let him not meet on the field his brother-man. his brother-Christian, in a cause on which Heaven frowns. IJe him bear witness against unholy wars as his country's greatest crimes. If called upon to take part in them. let him deliberately refuse. If martial law seize on him. let him submit. If hurried to prison, let him submit. If brought thence to be shot, let him submit, There must be martyrs to Peace as truly as to other princi- ples of our religion. The first Christians chose to die rather than to obey the laws of the State which commanded them to renounce their Lord. "Death rather than crime!" Such is the c" ood man's watchword: such the Christ- ian's vow. Let him be "faithful unto death." Let the control of our military forces pass from the militarist class to the people. Do away with secret diplomacy. What Dr. Lieb- knecht said about Germany is also true about this country. Militarism must be destroyed at home as well as abroad. Charity begins at home. It is a spring time just now. and suppose we go in for a spring cleaning and get i id of an these military cobwebs. Cromwell proposed in his time the following resolution —" That the House of Lords is useless, dangerous and should be abolished." I want not only to abolish the guild chamber of Parliament, but also the militarism of this country, as well ate the militarism of the whole world. The late John Bright was perfectly right when he said:—"The more you examine this matter the more you will come to the con- clusive which I have arrived at that this fo- reign policy this regard for the liberties of Surope.' this care at one time f or t-lie Prot- estant interests.' this excessive love for the balance of power.' is neither more nor less than a gigantic, system of out-door relief for the The jackals of aristocracy of Great Britain." The jackals of the Syrian deserts follow their prey in families, like tne place hunters of Europe. I believe that in pursuit of this will-o'-the-wisp (the liberties of Europe and the balance of power), there has been extracted from the industry of the people of Europe no less an amount than £ 20 OOO.OOO.OOC before this war will be over. Bust lust think of the hideous error of our governments, whose fatal policy consumes in some cases a half—never Jess than a thilfd-of all the results of that industry which God in- tended should fertilise and bless every home in Europe. but the fruits of which are squan- dered in smoke, without tuoducing the smallest good to the people of Europe.—Yours, etc. T. E. DAVIES. Tiimsaran. March 23. T.t' IJA VIES. I KILL THE MAN TO SNUFF THE IDEAL. I (To the Editor of the PIONEEH.) Dear Sir.—My attention has been called to the following paragraph in the Tonyrefail Notes" for March 18:- TJhe latest interpretation of Christian love, as taught by some ministers of the Gospel. can be judged by an expression of a local i minister, who stated that he could love his enemy whilst killing him Christ said, the old commandment says, "Thou shalt not kill," but I say. "He that hateth his brother is a murderer already." As I think it unlikely that two Jscal minis- ters would be guilty of the same remark, I must assume I am the responsible party. I am not sure whether the writer is ac- cusing me of foolishness or wickedness. In either case I am afraid I cannot raise either, a flush or a blush. The writer ap-pears to have overlooked the most elementary law of quotation, that no sentence should be quoted apart from the context which gives it its mean- ing. May I say one or two more things that I said at the same time as the sentence Iuote? I will keep as nearly as passible to tihe original conversation. When we talk of lov- ing our enemies, do let us avoid gush. I am unacquamted wite a single German man or woman. Hence, to them as persons I cannot have any real personal hatred or personal love. That. I venture to say. is the general state of most Britishers. To all men and nations with whom I am unacquainted I have simply the general interest in their welfare which follows naturally from the view that we are all the effspring of God Now to our conversation. Germany stands in tMs war for ideals which we hold to be poisonous. If I may use some- what hackneyed phrases, the will to power," "the mailed fist," "might is right," the doc- trine of the super-man, instead of the more brotherly ideal of ChJjstianity-these make the Gospel which the Prussian would dearly lovo to impose upon the whole world. If the German wins. then his gospel wins. This is not a war between Englishman and German—but a war between two ideals. Not every German soldier as an individual. holds such a gospel, but in this wacr every sol- dier is simply an embodiment of his own na- tion's gospel. Our business is to show the Ger- man himself that his national ideal is an evil thing. In -,t general way propagation of ideas by peaceful persuasion is our method, but being at war, the only way to kill the idea is to kill the man who embodies it. I could do that in the spirit of my general interest in the welfare of mankind. That interest would, in- deed be the basis of my fighting temper. The writer quotes Christ in order to put me in my place. His quotation marks are somewhat mix- ed, but we will not quibble over that. The astounding thing is that such a verse should be put forward. Surely it is perfectly obvious that Jesus made no reference to war in this saying. It is not spoken to the soldier, but rather to men who prided themselves on obey- ing God's law. "Thou shalt not kill." May I briefly paraphrase? The law of Moses says, 'Thou shalt not kill.' Most of you are not guilty of killing. But claim- not righteous- ness for that, because I say. Hatred is mur- der. j, The whole point of the saying deals with the attitude of people to their neighbours, and applies equally to Israel or Tonyrefail. Re- ally the Tonyrefail Commentator should study the contexts. The saying was not given to men who killed, but to those who did NOT kill. I suggest as his next textual study, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. That tells me I can be loyal to my king without being disloyal to God. I enclose my card, but sign myself as I am referred to.—Yours faithfully, A LOCAL MINISTER. BLACKSTONE AND SHAKESPEARE I ON CONSCIENCE. (To the Editor of the PIONEER.) Dear Sir,—I should like to know Major James' opinion of the -eminent legal authority, Blackstone, for uttering these words: No laws are binding on the human subject which assault the body or violate the conscience." Let Shakespèarse, whose pen is infinitely more powerful than yours or mine, describe these specimens of unique intelligence who are so fond of saying that conscience makes cowards of us all. The Merthyr Tribunal may learn much from these words — Man, proud man, Drest in a little brief authority. Most ignorant of what he's most assur'd. His glossy essence—like an angry ape, Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven As make the angels weep." We need not say more. It is enough. Yours faithfully. IOAN. THE CO-OPERATIVE BANK AND "TRADE I UNIONIST." I (To the Editor of the PIONEER.) I Sir,—I am always interested in reading the Notes by "Trade Unionist." but I often think, when touching on fundamentals, he does so from the surface instead of getting down to the foundations. Last week he had a paragraph of Trades Unions banking with the C.W.S. He closes by saying: It is for the C. W .S. to provide the facilities which are now altogether lacking. Now if he looks a little closer he will find the facilities there waiting to be taken advantage of by Trade Unions. I say again the facilities are there; but supposing they were not, should it not be the first concern of every Trade Un- ionist to see that the monev he contributes is used to the best advantage? But I know of Trades Unions in the borough who have money lying at the same bank as their employers use, and an employer of labour said to me the other day, We all have overdrafts at the bank —which, summed up means, in our borough the workers are providing some of the money for the employer to use against themselves. And yet Trades Unionist says in his note, It is for the C'.W.S." Should it not be for the wor- ker to take that money out at once, and place it where it is impossible to be used against himself?—Yours etc PRO BONO PUBLICO. ALDRED AND MARX. I (To the Editor of the PIONEER.) Sir,—Mr. Guy A. Aldred delivered a striking lecture on "Anarchism" at the Berni Rooms last Tuesday week to an appreciative audience. His lecture cleared the air; he quoted Karl Marx, and endeavoured to prove that Marx I was an Anarchist. This claim rather startled the Socialists present, who have looked upon Marx as the Godhead of Socialism. Of course, he could not blame the Socialists for thinking this. Some of them--or I should say us-can- not afford to buy Marx, and cannot borrow or steal liiiii; and when Socialist leaders quote Karl Marx, give us some of his stock phrases, and generally misrepresent him to suit them- selves, you cannot blame the ordinary working man for being lost in a kind of mist. Of course, the great men of the ages have been claimed as the friend of a movement which the claimant believes in. Thus persons claim that Christ would dress Himself in khaki and shoulder a rifle to go and kill Germans, singing" Tippcmry." if He were alive to-day, Thus Liberals pervert the sayings of Henry Richard and Bright. Thus Marx can be claimed to be an Anarchist, and Marx can be claimed to be a Socialist; not, per haps, because he was either but because he was a great man, and because we all like to be on the side of the world's great men. It is a pity that Socialism and Anarchism cannot wash together. If they did, the peo- ple, always the despair of reformers, would appreciate them more. Aid red is a master of his subject. Anarchism could not have a bet- ter advocate. I speak a.s a Socialist who does  <,i .c i w h o do-5?? .s not- carry Das Kapital in his brain-box, but who was not altogether convinced. Mjr. Aldred is a young man. very much older in years than I am. His face is pale and his eyes very dreamy. He speaks eloquently. and with force, and he is the master of his subject. He is Guy A. Aldred. These were my impressions when I first saw him. hen he began to speak a slight twang was noticeable. I am informed that he visited Dowlais under the auspices of the branch of the Spanish Socialist League. No doubt many of the Spaniards did not understand the speaker. which is a pity. because many of them are heart and soul in the revolutionary Socialist movement. However, why these digressions F Even Prince Kropotkin did not escape the lashes of Alfred's sarcasm. It was rather startling to find Socialist Marx claimed, and Anarchist Kropotkin condemned, by an Anar- chist. Dear me,! if the world goes on like this, well shaJl shortly find the Tories claiming the Bible as the text book of Tariff Reform, and the LibecraJs claiming the meditations of Mar- cus Auralius as an argument for Welsh Dis- establishment; and the Socialists and the An- archists claiming, say, Socrates for their side! We like to be Qll the side of the greet men, whether those great men be philosophers or cinema actors. The popular view of Prince Kropotkin is a man exiled from his native land for assist- ing the poor down-trodden masses; who sacri- ficed his life, or social position, and lands and wealth in Russia for the sake of the people; and fled to the home of the refugee, England. to write homilies and pamphlets for a queer sect who call themselves Anarchists. That is the popular view, not my view. Aldred condemned Kropotkin. Poor Kropotkin! He is no worse, of course; but he should be at one of Aldred's meetings. Mr. Aldred, in answer to a question. said tha.t he was more concerned in overthrowing the present system than he was about the fu- ture state of things after the great overthrow. The future looked after itself. That's where I lost him. What's the use of overthrowing a system—whether that system is bad or not, if you have nothing to put in its place? What is the use of wringing our hands and saying we have crushed the ugly ogre, property; we have reached the Millenium ? What are we to do with it? I should have liked to have been at Wed- nesday's meeting, but another engagement pre- vented me; but I should like to add that Guy A. Aldred was scrupulously fair with his questioners- of whom I was not one—and that the Spuf," the paper of which he is the Editor, is a virile fighting monthly, well written and very able edited. Space and time will not allow me to go further, but I should like to see Mr. Aldred in Dowlais again. — Yours, eta. IOAN. AN APPEAL! (To the Editor of the PIONEER.) I Dear Sir,—The Workers' Suffrage Federation (late E.L.F.S.) is having a very hard time fi- nancially just now. Public opinion has rather come round to the view that there is no dist- ress and that it is unnecessary to subscribe to our milk fund, day nursery, clinics, etc. Our co-operative factory, too. though it pays its way. is a coastant expense to us as we have to buy materials in advance, as the cost of these and the quantities that we need are constantly increasing. Even amongst discharged soldiers, of whom 15,000 have no pension, and probably 30.000 have only inadequate pensions, there is -,T.eit distress. Also the Old Age pensioners, the wid- ows and other women workers earning small ii,ages" are worse placed than ever they were because of the increased cost of living It is difficult to get financial support- ior our endeavours to secure that women re-placing men should secure the same wages, and that higher wages should be paid to women all round, as well as our propaganda work in support of Human Suffrage, a vote for every woman and man over 21. We are active, too. in trying to remedy the grievances of the soldiers and sailors and their dependents, which are very many and acute. Indeed our staff is always-overworked. The cost of producing our paper, too. as 'vou will know from your own experience has greatly increased. You have helped us from time to time. Would you be so good as to put an appeal for funds in the PIONEER now as t,iiis I-, i-e,a, i l- this is really a time of crisis for _Is? Subscriptions should be sent to the Hon Treasurer Dr. B. Tchaykovsky. Langham House. Harrow-on-the-Hf!l; other eommunica tions to me at 400 Old Ford Road, Bow, E Yours sincerely. f E. SYLVIA PANKHURST. I

_M_. The Need for Christ's Return." I APPROACHING LECTURE BY MRS. RAN-I SOM, LONDON. Among the many organisation's in the world to-dav that make for Brotherhood, the now world-wide" Order of the Star in the East" is making itself more and more felt as a factor in future progress. The keystone of all prog- ress is evolution, and as evolution is governed by law and not by chaos, there are many who. even amid the disturbing elements of the pre- sent time, and out of the welter of blood and tears into which the war has nlunged the nations of Europe, see the guiding hand of the great spiritual hierarchy, whose wisdom and compassion bring all human scheming to nought. lest the great plan-in which Brotherhood is a ?zi-eat. if -n,ot the oT great, if not- the greatest, factor—should he thwarted and cast aside through the errors of human cunning and greed. Almost at the commencement of the war, we reproduced in these columns a vivid account of a vision by the great seer. Tolstoy, in which. after foresee- ing the earlier Balkan struggles, he spoke of seeing Europe in 1915 as in flames and dripping with Mood." To those who had read the details of this vision long before the war, and saw in the signs of the times its coming horror, the sanguinary details of the struggle that is proceeding on the hills and plains of Europe were not destitute of a spiritual mess- age and meaning. The details of Tolstoy's vi- sion were impressed on the imagination like a swift series of highly illumined cinema pictures in which Tolstoy spoke of the crumbling of the old and fast tottering civilisation of our day. the breaking up of the old bottles before the rich wine of life could be poured into the new. Most significant of all-and, indeed, most con- soling—was the last picture of a14. in which, at '■lie close of the war, he saw a new spiritual Figure arise to preach a new gospel of hope and security to the Brotherhood that, is to be. Tolstov was not alone in his vision. To-day. v i s i on. To- d iy, in all lands, among all nations not forgetting even those at war. there are to be found the messengers upon the hill tops who are waiting and working for the coming day. It is to knit these workers together that Mrs. Ransom (IJon- don) will, on Friday. Aoril 7, address a. public meeting at Bentley's Hall Merthvr, at 8 pRl. OTi "The Need of Christ's return." And those of us who heard her at Cardiff a few months ago on Christ and the War are looking forward to her visit with the greatest expectation and interest Mrs. Ransom (who belongs to the Order already adverted to) being a forceful speaker and a most pleasing and rna gntet-ic personality. -=-u

TO-MORROW MAY BE TOO LATE. Get a Box TO-DAY! Robert Edes, of Weybridge, writes After I had take the second two I felt better than I had done for over four years. The pain in my back had entirely gone." Mrs, King, Runwell Road, Wickford, states- "Yonr pills cured me aftei years of pain." Sufferers from Gravel, T.umbago, Pains in the Back, Dropsy, Bright's Disease of the Kidneys, etc., Sciatica, Rheumatism, and Gout, will find a positive cure in Holdroyd's Grave! PiUs. is. 3d., all chemists: post free TJ stamDS.- HOLDROYD'S Medical HaJJ. Clecfeheaton

Merthyr Men at the Appeal Tribunal. CHAIRMAN ADMITS NOT UNDERSTAND. I ING MILITARY SERVICE BILL. The Appeal Tribunal for the County of Gla- morgan met at Pontypridd last Saturday to de- cide the appeals of the Merthyr Conscientious Objectors. The Tribunal was held in a small room in the Pontypridd Municipal Buildings. About five persons were allowed to represent the public. Mr. O. H. Jones (Fon-Mon), who usually presides at these functions, was not present, so Alderman W. R. Davies (Ponty- pridd) was appointed chairman. A stout old gentleman, whose identity is a mystery, was the outstanding personality of the day. He left the questions of self-defence. Zeppelins, and atrocities to Mr. Hubert Jenkins, whose dogged insistence on the "What would you do if, etc.?" confirms the view that the Sergeant Buzfuz type of mind still has its place in the latest courts of justice. But the old gentleman re- ferred to would have nothing to do with the common series of Tribunal questions. He knew St. Athana-sius better than Bernhardi. One con- scientioLi8 objector was asked if lie could find the percentage of phosphorus in coke. Most of the applicants were members of the I.L.P. and No-Conscription Fellowship, and by the end of the day the Tribunes were well acquainted with the attitude of those bodies. Indeed, to- wards the end of the day the Tribunal was so delighted to discover a conscientious objector outside these organisations that it magnani- mously granted him non-combatant service. Mr. W. Meyler Thomas watched the proceed- ings for tha Board of Agriculture. As no ag- ricultural oases were dealt with all dav Mr. Thomas seems to have been wasting his time. More economy! Mr Edward Roberts, Dowlais, represented the No-Conscription Fellowship. Brinley Theophilus, school teacher, was gran- ted non-combatant service. Henry Thomas, science student at Cardiff University, appealed against the decision of the local Tribunal.—Appeal dismissed. Benjamin Evans' appeal was dismissed. —Weinburg read a strongly worded state- ment to the effect that he was opposed to all war. and did not intend betraying his princi- ples.—Appeal dismissed. The Calvinistic Methodists' War. I Thomas Gwilym Williams, a Troedyrhiw schoolteacher, appealed against the decision of the Merthyr Tribunal. He believed in the sanctity of human life.-Cha,irman: Do you be- long to any religious denomination ?-Applie- ant I was a. member of Market Square Church until they started preaching what were practically recruiting sermons; then I went to the church of the rev. gentleman who is down here to-day (referring to the Rev. John Morgan Jones, who was in the room) .—A Member of the Tribunal (horrified): You don't suggest that the Calvinistic Methodists are against young men going to the W ?-Applicant: I don't take any notice of the creeds.—Chairman: Do you be- long to any Peace Society?—Applicant: Yes, the I.L.P. and the N.C.F—Mr Hubert Jenkins: Would you defend your country from Zeppe- lins?—Applicant: Zeppelins are the result of war.Li,out. Buchanan Hasn't there been a split in the Independent Labour Party over the war ?—Applicant: Some naturally would become renegades. It is the same in the Christ- ian Churches.—Mr. Roberts: Is it not true to say that the National Council of the I.L.P. is unanimous in its attitude towards the war?- Applicant: That is so.—Appeal dismissed. John Alfred Lewis, a member of the N.C.F. and I.L.P. was refused exemption. Flagrant Violation of the Law you are Sup- I posed to be Administering. Herbert Davies, M.A., English Master at the Pontypridd County School. stated he was an out-and-out conscientious objector. He criticised the conduct of the Merthyr Tribunal, and was prepared to stand by his opinions.—A Member: Did you join the O.T.C. at Oxford P-Appli(,- ant No.-A Member You got rather a hot time?—Applicant: Oh, no! they were more to- lerant there.—Chairman Are you a member of any religious denominationP-Applicant: No; I was connected with the Church of England, but I severed my connection- with it since the war. —A Member: Has not the State a right to the services of the individual ?—Applicant: It has a right to the property of an individual, but not to his soul.—Chairman: Appeal dismissed. — Applicant: Can I have leave to appeal?—Chair- man On what grounds ?—Applicant: It was the intention of the Government to allow an appeal on matters of principle. I am a conscientious objector engaged in work of national import- ance.-Chairm:an: It is a matter of fact, not a matter of principle ?—Applicant: What's the difference?—Chairman: No appeal.—Applic- ant A flagrant violation of the law which you are supposed to be pjdm-iniste-rng. Fred Pullinger, printer, said that conscience was the greatest thin,*? in the world. He had been connected with the Church, but disagreed with its attitude towards the war. He had been a member of the I.jLP. for many years, and was a member of the 'N.C.F.—Appeal dismissed. Jonathan Jones. ccirj&enter, appealed against the decision of v the Merthyr Tribu- nal. He was a J member of the I.L.P. and the N.C.F.—LieuJc. Buchanan: Do you ob- ject to strikes?—Applicant: Yes, if they can be ioc,t to st;,riles ?- jkp,l),] i,ea Tit: Ye,3, if they can be Minister. Spnghpnydd'? gave evidence hat the applicant was sincere in his convictions.—Ap- peal dismissed. A Court of J ustic;- I insuranc-e agent. Troedyrhiw. was told by the stout old -geiitleiiian to take his hands out of his pocket as he was in a court of justice.—Applicant uxpreesed surprise at. this infoi-.matioii.I,ie,-Lit. B-uchanan Who is respon- sible for these words on the application fo*'m?— Applicant: They form, part of the declaration  of the N.C.F. Cliai-le,, a railway cierk and a member of the I.L.P. 'and N.C.F, was refused exemption. David Lewis; a sch('x)l teacher, stated that the Military Representative at the Merthyr Tri- bunal had referred to his conscientious objection stating that he dicbji't- want to hear such rub- bish and the Triou7 -i,al had meekly acquiesced. --Chainnan: That hias nothing to do with -us.- Applicant: But it iQs one of the grounds of my appea I.-Chairman: Tha t does not concern us. —Mr. D. W. Jones' You object- to war in ge- ne.r,il ?-Applicant Yes, I've been a, member of the I.L.P. for tfeen years.—Military Represen- tative Do you belong to the N.C.F.?—I don't understand the ri' ews of that sect.—-Mr. D. W. Jones: Is the N..C.F. a society to repeal the Ao: ?-Applicant.: I don't know.—Ma- D. W. Jones: Mr. Roberts does.— Mr. Roberts: l'i not a witness. (Laughter)—Mr. Hubert J'enk- ins: Do you want this country to lose ?-Appli- cant: I don't want any country to lose. I want the war settled on a basis which will prevent future war, and secure a permanent and last- ing peace.—Mr. Hubert Jenkins: Is Prussian Militarism the cause of the wa.r ?-Applicant: I shouldn't like to say. Treaties ai-e violated suit the interests of the nations. We do it when it suits us.—Mr. Hubert Jenkins: Do you (1).. jeot to non-combatant service?— Applicant: Yes. any military service.—Chairman: You have expressed lofty ideas and sentiments; we agree with you.-Appe-al dismissed. David Lewis Thomas, clerk at lesHs. Guest., Keen and Nettlefolds, appealed.—Mr. D. W Jones: Are you a member of any organ isationF —Applicant: Yes, the I.L.P. and the' I-N.C.F,Appeal dismissed. Tom Godfrey, a brakesman on the T.V.R. was the next applicant.—A Tribune: Are you a. member of any religious orgamsatioll ?-Applic-. ant I was a member of the Church of England: until I found it was an organisation to keep' the workers on the grindstone.—A Tribune Are you a member of the I.L.P. and the' X.C.F. ?-A.pplicapt: Yes.—Mr Hubert Jenk- ins Do you wish us to consider any other objection?—Applicant: None whatever.—Lieut- Buchanan. Do you go to the einema.P-Apptic- ant: -Yes.-Lieut. Buchanan: Do you see war pjctures ?-Applica.nt: IInfortunately. yes.—The Lieutenant: Do you walk out?—Applicant: No. I sit through them. Can't Put Conscience on the Table." The Military Representative referred to Mr-- Edward Roberts, solicitor. who was present. hel Mr. RobeTt: I can't put conscience on the table.-L,iout. Buchanan I agree with you- -Mr. Roberts: I shouldn't like to decide whe- ther a man had a conscience or not.—Mr. Hub- i ert Jenkins: I think it's best known to the man hl-mself.-Appe,al Dismissed. Just What I Expected." J > W. J. Durst on, attendant at the Workhouser appealed against the deoisioff of the local Tri- bunal. He stated that nothing could make1 him take part in bloody strife. He had been an Internationalist for 12 years, and was » member of the N.C.F.-The Stout Old Gentle- man Do you believe in policemen ?—Applic- ant: I've never been in their hands.—Mr. Hu- bert Jenkins: Wouldn't you defend your country ?-Applicant: I have no quarrel with the Gorrnans.Tilr. Hubert Jenkins: They are attacking us.—Applicant: Not as far as I'm con cerned.—Chairman Have you any further to add ?-Applicant: No, it's not worth while. Chairman: We confirm the decision of the Lo- call Tribunal.—Applicant: Just what I expected. David Williams, bricklayer, appealed against the decision of the Merthyr Tribunal.—Chair- man Do you belong to any denomination other than the Ba,ptist ?-Applicant: Yes, the I.LP. and the N.C.F.—Appeal dismissed. The Athanasian Creed. Tom Parry, an assurance agent, said that he Tom Parr'y i? fight the devil materially, bu^ spiritually. He would never forgave himself if he stained his hands with blood. If the ministers of the country only thought about diploma^0 relations intellectually, there would have been no war.—A Tribune: Is this a political objec- tion?—Applicant: Oh. no, there is a Coalition Government.—The Old Gentleman: Yoa don't belong to the I.L.P. and the N.C.F, like tlre gentlemen sitting behind you? They seem in- terested in your case.-Applicant.- I follow my own teachings; I am not a member of the I.L.P.—Chairman: We've been meeting mem- bers of the I.L.P. all day. We've been made quite familiar with their views.—Mr. Herbert Jenkins: Do you object to non-combatant ser- vice P-Appl ic an t: What do you mean by non- combatant ?—Chairman We're all in difficul- ties.—A Tribune: Mine sweeping?—Applicant: I believe in the Athanasian creed.—Chairman: Put the Act aside. You don't understand ity- and I don't think we do.—Applicant: I don't object to work of national importance provided I'm physically fit, sir.—Non-combatant service. Charles Bowles, brakesman. G.W.R., and member of the I.L.P. and the N.C.F, appealed' against the local Tribunal.—Appeal dismissed- Let the Firing Party Come." There was no compromise about the applica- tion of R. J. Nicholas, chemist.—In a strongly worded statement, lie said that he had been an Agnostic for 12 years. He was an atrdent. fol- lower of the late Keir Hardie, and was proud of it. "If the firing party wants to decide' whether I have a conscience or not, said Mr. Nicholas. it can do so in. 20 seconds."—A Tri- bune: How long have you held these views? Applicant: Since the Boer War.—The Old Gen- tleman If you were asked to find the percent- age of phosphorus in coke, could you do it?— Applicant: No.—Appeal dismissed Not an Empty Phrase to Me. Daniel Jemuns. compositor at the PIONEBR Office, appealed. He had been a member of the I.L.P. for 15 years.—Lieutenant Buchan- an: Where does the phrase, "the sanctity of human life," come from?—Apllicamt: It "is fa- miliar to me. I've seen it for years in So- cialistic literature. It's not an empty phrase' to me.—Appeal dismissed. Harry Morris and His Record. j Harry Morris, Secretary of the Merthyr I.L.P., appealed against 'the decision of the, Merthyr Tribunal. He stated that if it were not for the fact that his case had come late in the day at the Merthyr Tribunal he would have had absolute exemption. He gave details to support his statement. Only 6 members were sitting. He had been Secretary of the Merthyr Independent Labour Party for 12' years, and had been closely associated with the greatest advocate of Peace the world had evef seen—Mr. Keir Hardie. He was proud of being a Socialist, and proud of his four fights along with Keir Hardie. All the political parties in Merthyr knew he was sincere. No one seem- ed to count at Merthyr but the Military Re- presentative. His brother was a colliery man- ager, and he could have been in a position cS- empt from the Miliary Service Bill, but he was not prepared to desert his principles. He did not wish to pose as a martyr, but no power on earth would make him ddfe-khaki. By this time only the Chairman, the Military Repre- sentative Mr. Hubert Jenkins • and one other member remained to form a quorum. There were no questions.—Non-combatant service. The Applicants left the building singing the Red .'Hag." Nobody was disappointed. The injustice of the Military Service Act and its progeny the Tribunals, have become too fa- miliar for indignation. Whv doesn't same pttt- riot provide the Appeal Tribunal with a. phone? Records for Mr. Hubert Jenkins and Mr. D. W. Jones might be included: also coin, as the Tribunes seem to decide on coln- batant or non-combatant service by the tinie" honoured custom of "tossing un." E. R.